Matter Real Estate’s UnCommons is the latest in a line of mixed-use developments hoping to infuse a dense urban sensibility into our sprawling suburban city. The new 40-acre project in southwest Las Vegas, designed by architecture firm Gensler, intends to encourage walkability and community. Can it succeed where others have not?
Historically, Las Vegas falls short on the walkability scale, not being very pedestrian-friendly (apart from the Strip). But changing this, according to UNLV journalism professor T.R. Witcher, can happen incrementally.
“Start in underutilized spaces,” he says. “We’re in the desert. There’s so much empty space. Put in a park somewhere, then add a bike lane. An office space. Maybe a shop or a Walgreens. Little by little, it starts to feel more like a city. Suddenly, you have a community.”
That is the essence of UnCommons. Jim Stuart, Matter Real Estate development partner, says that in its early stages, it was a workplace-centered project. Eventually, it will include 500,000 square feet of office space, as well as 830 residential units, entertainment venues, restaurants, cafes, health and wellness studios, and a multipurpose conference center, all surrounded by the work of local artists and a food hall showcasing local and new eats.
“How do we create an environment that is not a soulless, standalone office building in a black asphalt, sea of heat, and instead create something where you’ll feel like you’re in the best of an urban setting, but in a suburban convenience?” Stuart asks. Matter’s answer: curate the food, entertainment, fitness, architecture, and landscaping — according to a central intention.
Physically, that looks like a courtyard with wooden picnic tables and industrial firepits, a mix of metals and earth — elevated desert. Rather than replicating big cities with established urban cores, Stuart hopes UnCommons can get people to accept Las Vegas for what it is: a gathering place in the Mojave Desert — something previous projects he’s worked on, such as Town Square, did not do. Instead of the focus being shopping, he sought to create a place where life could be at the center: where you could come to work, live, eat, play, and stay for the long term.
As for the intention, that involves validating Las Vegas’ diverse history while welcoming newcomers, something the city’s hospitality culture enables, Witcher notes. Streets are named after local figures such as Helen Toland and Rozita Lee, and UnCommons has a director of community and belonging, Amalie Zinsser, whose job is to cultivate inclusivity.
Although most of UnCommons’ residences aren’t set to open until 2023, what’s there has started generating buzz: Urth Caffe, Blackowned boba shop Teaspoon, and Speakeasy Candle Co., a plant-based, cocktail-inspired candle shop. Several of the contracted businesses are owned by women or people of color. Zinsser acknowledges that uplifting these communities is work that extends beyond UnCommons’ walls.
“It all comes from learning and growing,” she says. “What do they need? How do we help them come to us? We have an open door. We want to know how we could support and help them grow. But it’s not my place, nor the UnCommons’ place to say, ‘This is how we’re going to help.’ That’s just not how you support community at all.”
This view aligns with Teaspoon’s, says local manager Juliana Martinez. Amy Lai cofounded the boba shop in California, and UnCommons hosts the first Las Vegas location. Lai wanted to make boba more accessible by blending it with different cultures, Martinez says. She believes business owners from diverse backgrounds will thrive, because the spaces won’t be filled by corporate chains.
“It’s creating a sense of community because ideally, the same employees who work there are set to get apartment deals first. Then, you can walk to work. Eventually, we’ll get a movie theater and a gym. Now, you can play. Life is here.”
It’s an appealing vision. Could UnCommons serve as inspiration for other Las Vegas developers, making walkability a reality in other neighborhoods with a range of socioeconomic diversity? For that to happen, Witcher says, it would need to connect to other parts of the Valley.
“This can work, but other areas of town must also be included in the picture or get their own piece of the cake,” he says. “The danger is that we want the good side of cities without the reality of the challenges. It cannot just be an enclave for the affluent.”
For Martinez, being a part of UnCommons means being a part of the access that communities she witnessed growing up haven’t always had. At least for Teaspoon, she hopes that it can become a second home for people in the community, a place for them to relax, enjoying life “one teaspoon at a time.” ✦